


Hold Your Scripted Tongue

by romanticalgirl



Series: Crowded Room [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gen, Non-Serum Steve Rogers/Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes | Shrinkyclinks, Steve Rogers is a little shit, eventual James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 10:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16386110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl
Summary: Bucky is still stuck with Steve. Steve is still stuck with Bucky. And things continute to go about the way they always have. Except not quite.





	Hold Your Scripted Tongue

“Go away.”

Bucky has both hands on his hips and he’s glaring at Steve who is ignoring him. Straight up ignoring him, because Bucky is about three feet away, and even with his shitty hearing, he _knows_ Steve can hear him. So Steve is being a shit. 

Which means it’s probably just Wednesday.

“Look, we’ll just tell Tony he’s had his fun, and he can find you another job. I don’t need a secretary. I don’t _do_ anything that’s not avenging. Literally. I sit here in my apartment.”

“You’ve been seen on dates with four models in the last three months. All of them have talked to the press. You certainly need something.”

“They didn’t say anything _bad_ to the press.” Steve raises an eyebrow and Bucky growls at him. “There’s nothing bad to say. I’m a perfect gentleman.”

“Katrina Reyes stated that you were, and I quote, ‘A real asshole.’”

“She did not.”

“She did. Not to the press, but to a friend who told the press. Which is why there’s an article about you in _People_ magazine wondering about what The Winter Soldier is really like.” Steve pulls the magazine out of his messenger bag. “ _Is the Winter Soldier as Cold as His Name._ They didn’t use the best picture either. You look like a hobo.”

“I always look like a hobo.”

“Yes. Which is why you’re going to clean up and do an interview with _Vanity Fair._ ”

“No, I’m not.”

Steve looks at Bucky, his blue eyes sharp and bright. “Yes. You are.”

“Look, I don’t know who you think you are…”

Steve stands and it’s ridiculous that someone that short should have such a towering presence. It really pisses Bucky off, though he’s not completely sure why. He’s bigger, taller, and stronger than this little punk.

“I am in charge of your public life. I handle your appointments both in and out of the Tower. I tell you where you have to go and what you have to do, and you’re not getting rid of me, so go in the bathroom and shave before I drag you in there and do it myself.”

Bucky just stares at him for a long time. “You are _such_ an asshole.”

Steve smiles, and Bucky’s reminded of that scene in the Grinch cartoon that Clint made him watch. He’s pretty sure that Steve just got a wonderful, awful idea. “You have no idea. Now. Are you going to shave, or am I shaving you?”

**

“I cannot believe this.” Bucky’s glaring at his bed and the selection of clothes laid out on it. “I’m not wearing any of this. It’s awful.”

“They’re your clothes.” Steve is standing in the door of Bucky’s closet. His hair is slightly damp and so are the sleeves of his shirt that are now rolled to his elbows. He hadn’t been kidding about shaving Bucky and, when Bucky had finally given in, Steve was too goddamned stubborn to stop. “So if they’re awful, they’re your fault. Put on the black jeans.”

“You said black makes me look dark and unapproachable.”

“Huh, and here I thought you never listened to me.” He comes over to the bed holding a red shirt. “Black jeans. Now.”

“Oh my god, you’re not the boss of me. I’m your boss. You should have to do what I tell you.”

“Tony’s my boss, as I’ve reminded you several times. Now. Jeans.”

“Fuck.” Bucky pulls off his sweats and tugs on his jeans. He glances up through his lashes and is surprised to see Steve watching him. That’s definitely new information. Pulling them over his thighs, he gets them settled and fastened. “Now what, RuPaul?”

“Don’t tempt me to put you in drag.” Steve tosses the red shirt at him. “Bold but approachable. The sharp contrast to your skin tone brings out the color of your eyes. Comb your hair. Looks like a rat’s nest.”

“I don’t like you. Have I said that yet today?”

“Twelve times,” Steve informs him. “But who’s counting?”

“You, obviously.”

“Don’t worry. You’re nowhere near your record.”

**

Happy glances in the rearview mirror. “You okay? You look a little…”

“I’m fine,” Bucky says brusquely, then softens his tone. “Sorry, Happy. Just a little nervous, I guess.”

“Yeah, talking to the press is tough. Not for Mr. Stark, obviously, but in general. I heard this reporter’s real nice though. Did a spread on the Black Lives Matter movement. Really good stuff.”

“From Black Lives Matter to me? Is she trying to diversify her portfolio or did she lose a bet?” Bucky slumps back in his seat and crosses his arms over his chest. “And I wasn’t an asshole.”

“Hmm?” Steve looks up from his tablet.

“To Katrina. I wasn’t an asshole. We went out to dinner, had a few drinks. We went dancing and I took her home. Walked her to her door and left. Didn’t even step foot inside, so unless not having sex with her is being an asshole, I’m innocent of all charges.”

“Doesn’t matter. You look like an asshole.”

“You know, I could have just let HYDRA kill you.”

Steve looks at his tablet and takes a breath before looking up at Bucky. “Yeah. You could have.”

There’s something in his voice that hits Bucky in the chest. “I wouldn’t have.” He gives Steve what he might, under extreme duress, admit is a smile. “I mean, only an asshole would do that, right?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Now, I gave her a list of topics that are off-limits, so if she touches on anything outside of a personal limit, you can cut her off about it. She’ll probably ask a little bit about the arm, just in the context of whether it makes it hard to relate to people or if you’ve found people less likely to interact with you because of it.”

“People don’t want to interact with me because I’m me.” 

“Yes, say that. That will endear you to the readers.” Steve closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Look, right now you look bad in the press. I don’t know if it’s because you took those women out and didn’t give them what they were expecting or what, but you’re an Avenger, and that means something. Especially to little kids.”

Bucky looks at him and shrugs. “Okay.”

Steve opens one eye. “Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch. I like kids.”

**

“The thing is, Renee, I’m not actually looking for a relationship right now, and I’m not the kind of guy that’s into casual sex. Those ladies were a lot of fun. We had nice dinners, we went dancing, and I took them home and said goodbye at the door. A lot of my life has been lived on someone else’s terms. I just want to live it on mine.”

“And what are those terms?”

“I want to have fun. I want to meet people.”

“Your reputation doesn’t support that.”

“Well, I’m not very good at it. That wasn’t part of the mind control.” He sees Steve slap his palm to his forehead and tries really hard not to grin. “So I’m learning.”

“Are you looking for a special girl?”

“Special girl. Special guy. Special someone.”

Sarah’s eyes widen and Steve holds up his hand. “One moment, Ms. Baker. Please. Bucky? Can we talk?”

Bucky gets up and walks over to the door and lets Steve usher him into the hallway. “What? I thought it was going well.”

“You just told her you were bixesual. Or pansexual. Jesus Christ. _Warn me_ when you decide to come out.”

“Oh. Right. Well. You are the one who wanted me to do the interview.” Bucky widens his eyes and looks as innocent as he can manage which, he knows, is not particularly innocent. Steve glares at him, the muscle in his jaw jumping. “Was that wrong?”

“No. No. But so help me,” Steve bites off the words as he gets in Bucky’s face and, again, it’s strange how much space Steve takes up. “If this is a lie? If this is some fucking joke to mess with me? If this is a lie…” He takes a deep breath in and then exhales it shakily. “Is it?”

“A lie?”

Steve’s teeth are gritted. “Is it? Because there are kids out there who are going to read that and it’s going to _matter_ to them, so if you’re fucking with me, if that’s what you think is funny, let me know, and I’ll be happy to walk out the door right now.”

“Jesus. No. It’s not a lie. Fuck.” Bucky puts his hands on Steve’s shoulders, fulling intending to push him back, but instead he keeps them there and squeezes. “I really am. One of those. Haven't really thought about a label for it.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah, kid. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Steve lets out another breath, this one even shakier. “Okay. You should go back and finish the interview. Do you want this to come out?”

“Wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t. See, that’s where you and I are different. Or the PR team for the Avengers and I. I don’t give a fuck what people think about me. I do my job and I live my life. You said people look up to us, to me, and you’re right. I owe them to put something out there to show I’m not an asshole all the time. But doesn’t that make it just as good to let them know this and that that’s okay too?”

“I don’t think I can handle you being serious and earnest. Please stop.”

Bucky smiles. It’s possible this is the first argument he’s had with Steve where he’s managed to come out on top. “I think that means you owe me dinner. And don’t say you can’t afford it. I know what Stark pays you to put up with me.”

“Yeah?” Steve raises his voice so Bucky’s sure to hear him as he walks back to the interview room. “I can tell you it’s definitely not enough!”


End file.
